U.S. patent application number 14/395416 was filed with the patent office on 2015-03-19 for method and apparatus for use in a food packaging system.
This patent application is currently assigned to ISHIDA EUROPE LIMITED. The applicant listed for this patent is ISHIDA EUROPE LIMITED. Invention is credited to Ulrich Carlin Nielsen.
Application Number | 20150081087 14/395416 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46261630 |
Filed Date | 2015-03-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150081087 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nielsen; Ulrich Carlin |
March 19, 2015 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN A FOOD PACKAGING SYSTEM
Abstract
Apparatus for controlling a poultry packaging system is
provided. The apparatus comprises a first receiving unit operable
to receive a plurality of orders for poultry product, wherein said
poultry product is either a whole or a portion of a poultry bird; a
second receiving unit operable to receive at least one measurable
parameter of at least one poultry bird from a measurement unit; a
recommendation unit operable to determine which of the plurality of
received orders best corresponds to the received at least one
measurable parameter, and a control unit operable transmit a signal
to a poultry processing system such that said poultry processing
system processes the at least one poultry bird in accordance with
the determined order.
Inventors: |
Nielsen; Ulrich Carlin; (Ry,
DK) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ISHIDA EUROPE LIMITED |
Birmingham, West Midlands |
|
GB |
|
|
Assignee: |
ISHIDA EUROPE LIMITED
Birmingham, West Midlands
GB
|
Family ID: |
46261630 |
Appl. No.: |
14/395416 |
Filed: |
April 18, 2013 |
PCT Filed: |
April 18, 2013 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2013/050986 |
371 Date: |
October 17, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
700/216 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B07C 5/38 20130101; B07C
5/16 20130101; B65G 1/1373 20130101; A22C 21/00 20130101; A22C
21/0053 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
700/216 |
International
Class: |
A22C 21/00 20060101
A22C021/00; B65G 1/137 20060101 B65G001/137 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 20, 2012 |
GB |
1206983.7 |
Claims
1. Apparatus for controlling a poultry packaging system,
comprising: a first receiving unit operable to receive a plurality
of orders for poultry product, wherein said poultry product is
either a whole or a portion of a poultry bird, and wherein
characteristics of each received order include the weight of the
received order and the number of individual poultry bird portions
making up the weight of the received order; a second receiving unit
operable to receive at least one measurable parameter of at least
one poultry bird from a measurement unit; a recommendation unit
operable to determine which of the plurality of received orders
best corresponds to the received at least one measurable parameter
based on the characteristics of each received order and the at
least one measurable parameter of the at least one poultry bird,
and; a control unit operable to transmit a signal to a poultry
processing system such that said poultry processing system
processes the at least one poultry bird in accordance with the
determined order.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurable
parameter is from the group including the weight of the poultry
bird and the quality of the poultry bird.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurable
parameter comprises the weight of the at least one poultry bird,
and the second receiving unit is further operable to determine the
weight of a portion of the at least one poultry bird utilising the
received weight of the poultry bird.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurable
parameter comprises the quality of the at least one poultry bird,
and the recommendation unit is further operable to determine, based
on the measured quality of the poultry bird, whether the poultry
bird should be processed in accordance with an order for a whole
poultry bird or an order for a portion of a poultry bird.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second receiving unit is
operable to receive the weights of a plurality of poultry birds,
and is further operable to: (i) determine an average weight of a
poultry bird in a subset of the plurality of poultry birds; and
(ii) determine an average weight of a poultry portion in said
subset utilising the determined average poultry bird weight of said
subset of the plurality of poultry birds; and further wherein the
recommendation unit is operable to determine which of the plurality
of orders best corresponds to the average weights in steps (i) or
(ii).
6. (canceled)
7. (canceled)
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the recommendation unit is
further operable to rank the plurality of received orders in an
order to be processed so as to minimize giveaway of poultry bird
product.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the measurement unit is a
weigher.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the poultry processing system
comprises at least one of cutting apparatus, a batch weigher and a
batching table.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the batch weigher is a
computer combination weigher (CCW).
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the poultry processing system
comprises a tray sealing machine.
13. A computer-implemented method for controlling a poultry
packaging system, comprising: (a) receiving a plurality of orders
for poultry product, wherein said poultry product is either a whole
or a portion of a poultry bird, and wherein characteristics of each
received order include the weight of the received order and the
number of individual poultry bird portions making up the weight of
the received order; (b) receiving at least one measurable parameter
of at least one poultry bird from a measurement unit; (c)
determining which of the plurality of received orders best
corresponds to the received at least one measurable parameter based
on the characteristics of each received order and the at least one
measurable parameter of the at least one poultry bird; and (d)
transmitting a signal to a poultry processing system such that said
poultry processing system processes the poultry birds in accordance
with the order determined in step (c).
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising
the step of determining the weight of a portion of the at least one
poultry bird utilising the received weight of the poultry bird.
15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein step (b)
comprises receiving the weights of each of a plurality of poultry
birds from a measurement unit, the method further comprising the
steps of: (i) determining the average weight of a poultry bird in a
subset of the plurality of poultry birds; and (ii) determining the
average weight of a poultry portion in said subset utilising the
determined average poultry bird weight of said subset of the
plurality of poultry birds; and wherein step (c) comprises
determining which of the plurality of orders best corresponds to
the average weights in steps (i) and (ii).
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the step
of determining which of the plurality of received orders best
corresponds to the at least one measurable parameter is based on
characteristics of each received order and the at least one
measurable parameter of the at least one poultry bird.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising
ranking the plurality of received orders in an order to be
processed dependent on the characteristics of each received order
and the at least one measurable parameter of the at least one
poultry bird.
18. A computer program product comprising instructions which when
executed by data processing apparatus causes the apparatus to be
configured to be operable in accordance with the method of claim
13.
19. A poultry packaging system comprising the apparatus of claim 1.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for use in a food
packaging system in order to optimise the output of food product,
in particular reducing giveaway, together with corresponding
apparatus and software for performing the method.
BACKGROUND TO INVENTION
[0002] A poultry factory will typically comprise a preparation
system and a processing system. Whole birds will be delivered to
the preparation system and typically slaughtered, de-feathered,
de-boned and eviscerated. The prepared birds, or "grillers", are
then cut into desired portions and packaged in the processing
system. Portions include, among others, breast fillet, legs, drums,
thighs and wings.
[0003] Poultry is typically packaged in batches, for example, 500 g
packs of thighs or 900 g packs of whole legs. The portions from the
processing system are firstly fed into an automated weigher that
weighs out the desired batches. The weighed batches are then packed
by manual operators or automated robotics into containers which are
subsequently sealed, labelled and checked before being distributed
to the desired outlet, such as a supermarket.
[0004] However, in some instances it may not be possible to provide
the correct weight batches within a pre-set tolerance. For example,
the 900 g batches of whole legs may need to be comprised of four
individual legs. If the legs from the particular birds processed in
the processing system are mathematically too large or too small to
be packaged, then it will be difficult to make up the 900 g
required with four legs. This is a particular problem with batches
made up of small numbers of individual portions, as variations in
portion size have a greater influence on the weight of the batch.
Food portions that cannot be made up to a correct batch weight are
typically sold off cheaply as "bulk". Alternatively, batches may be
sold "overweight", where, for example, a whole "large" chicken may
be sold as a "medium" chicken. Another example of batches being
sold "overweight" is a 900 g pack containing 1000 g of product,
thus "giving away" 100 g to the consumer. Both of these scenarios
are inefficient and increase giveaway. Additionally, consumers
demand accurate labelling and weights of food product.
[0005] What is needed in the art is a means to optimise the output
of food product from a food packaging system, in particular
minimising giveaway of food product when producing batch sizes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention,
there is provided apparatus for controlling a poultry packaging
system, comprising: a first receiving unit operable to receive a
plurality of orders for poultry product, wherein said poultry
product is either a whole or a portion of a poultry bird; a second
receiving unit operable to receive at least one measurable
parameter of at least one poultry bird from a measurement unit; a
recommendation unit operable to determine which of the plurality of
received orders best corresponds to the received at least one
measurable parameter, and; a control unit operable to transmit a
signal to a poultry processing system such that said poultry
processing system processes the at least one poultry bird in
accordance with the determined order.
[0007] "Orders" in this context refer to requests for poultry
product from outlets such as supermarkets and fast food
restaurants. For example, a supermarket may order a particular
number of units of packs of chicken thighs, or a fast food
restaurant may order a particular amount of chicken breast. The
orders are typically for batches. For example, a supermarket may
order packs of four chicken legs weighing 500 g, or a fast food
restaurant may order 5 kgs of chicken breast, with each individual
piece in the range of 120-130 g to allow accurate cooking.
[0008] The present invention therefore advantageously increases the
efficiency of a poultry packaging system, in particular reducing
"giveaway". Giveaway in this context refers to poultry that is
packaged overweight. The optimisation of the matching of the
poultry birds in the food packaging system to the received orders
prevents situations where, for example, a "large" chicken has to be
packaged with a "medium" label to prevent the large chicken simply
being thrown away. The excess chicken in the "medium" pack is thus
"given away", reducing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the
food packaging system. Such a scenario also poses a health risk to
the end consumer, as (s)he will typically cook the chicken in
accordance with the instructions on the label. If in fact a large
chicken has been packaged as a medium chicken, it is likely that
the consumer will undercook the bird.
[0009] By determining which of the plurality of received orders
best corresponds to the received at least one measurable parameter,
the received orders are processed using the poultry birds that best
match that order, thereby reducing giveaway.
[0010] Typically, the control unit is operable to generate as well
as transmit the signal to the poultry processing system such that
said poultry processing system processes the at least one poultry
bird in accordance with the determined order.
[0011] Typically, the at least one measurable parameter is from the
group including the weight of the poultry bird and the quality of
the poultry bird. The weight of the at least one poultry bird is
measured by a weigher. This is typically done once the poultry bird
has been slaughtered, de-feathered and eviscerated (the bird then
known as a "griller"), although the live weight can also be used.
The quality of the poultry bird is determined based on
characteristics such as the number of blood spots, or any physical
abnormalities that may detract from the appearance of the product
to the end user. The quality may be determined by manual operators
or by automated robotics, for example an infra-red apparatus to
detect any blood spots. Additionally, the quality may be determined
based on where the chicken was reared (for example free-range or
caged) before being sent to the food packaging system.
[0012] If a received order is required to be halal, then the
poultry birds can also be slaughtered in such a manner, and the at
least one measurable parameter determines whether the poultry birds
are halal.
[0013] In one embodiment, the at least one measurable parameter
comprises the weight of the at least one poultry bird, and the
second receiving unit is further operable to determine the weight
of a portion of the at least one poultry bird utilising the
received weight of the poultry bird. The weight of a portion of a
poultry bird (such as leg, drum, breast, wing etc.) can be
determined accurately and with small variance from bird to bird
from known look-up tables. For example, it is well-known to those
skilled in the art that two whole wings comprise 11-12% of a whole
griller weight, or that two drums comprise 13.5-14.5% of a whole
griller weight. Similar percentages exist for each bird portion.
Therefore, from just the measured weight of the griller, the
weights of each portion can be accurately determined, allowing
accurate matching of the poultry birds to the received orders.
There are also known weight percentages of a whole poultry bird
that can be used if the live weights are measured.
[0014] In one embodiment, the at least one measurable parameter
comprises the quality of the at least one poultry bird, and the
recommendation unit is further operable to determine, based on the
measured quality of the poultry bird, whether the poultry bird
should be processed in accordance with an order for a whole poultry
bird or an order for a portion of a poultry bird. As described
hereinabove, orders can be for whole poultry birds (grillers) or
portions. Typically, if an end consumer is to buy a whole griller,
then (s)he will choose the one with the best perceived overall
appearance (for example, no bloodspots or physical abnormalities).
Therefore, advantageously, the poultry birds with the highest
quality are used to process whole bird orders.
[0015] In one embodiment, the recommendation unit determines which
of the plurality of received orders best corresponds to the
received at least one measurable parameter on an individual griller
by griller basis. This provides a high accuracy of order matching.
In an alternative embodiment, the second receiving unit is operable
to receive the weights of a plurality of poultry birds, and is
further operable to: (i) determine an average weight of a poultry
bird in a subset of the plurality of poultry birds; and (ii)
determine an average weight of a poultry portion in said subset
utilising the determined average poultry bird weight of said subset
of the plurality of poultry birds; and further wherein the
recommendation unit is operable to determine which of the plurality
of orders best corresponds to the average weights in steps (i) or
(ii).
[0016] This advantageously increases the throughput of the chicken
processing system, as poultry birds are processed in a subset basis
rather than an individual basis. This is particularly useful if the
received orders have a relatively large tolerance, for instance
orders for packs of four chicken drums with a total weight of 500
g. As long as the total weight of the four drums is 500 g then the
individual drum weights are less significant. Therefore, if a
subset is found with an average drum weight of 125 g (i.e. a
quarter of 500 g), then that subset can be processed to fulfil the
order.
[0017] On the other hand, if an order requires a small tolerance,
for example chicken wings within +/-5 g of a specified weight, then
the grillers are analysed on an individual basis. In such a case,
grillers with the correct wing size are used for the wing order,
and grillers with the "wrong" wing weight can be used to process a
different order.
[0018] Preferably, the recommendation unit determines which of the
plurality of received orders best corresponds to the at least one
measurable parameter based on characteristics of each received
order and the at least one measurable parameter of the at least one
poultry bird. The characteristics of each received order include at
least one of; a poultry bird portion to be packaged, the weight of
the received order, the number of individual poultry bird portions
making up the weight of the received order and the deadline for
processing the order.
[0019] Preferably, the recommendation unit is further operable to
rank the plurality of received orders in an order to be processed
so as to minimize giveaway of poultry bird product. This ranking
may be displayed to an operator, together with additional data such
as the financial consequences of processing the orders in that
manner. As described above, the orders are preferably determined
based on minimising giveaway, although other metrics may be used to
determine which order best corresponds to the measured
parameter(s), such as deadlines for fulfilling the orders.
Preferably, the operator is capable of overriding the ranking if
deemed necessary.
[0020] Typically, the poultry processing system comprises at least
one of cutting apparatus, a batch weigher and a batching table.
Once the at least one poultry bird has been allocated to an order
by the recommendation system, it is fed, typically on a hanger
line, to the poultry processing system where it is cut into the
desired portion. The portions are then weighed into the required
batches by the batch weigher and packaged at the batching table,
typically by manual operators. Preferably the batch weigher is a
computer combination weigher (CCW) such as a multihead screw-feed
weigher.
[0021] The packaged batches are then fed, typically on a conveyor,
to be sealed or wrapped, and finalised before being delivered to
the desired outlet, such as a supermarket or fast food restaurant.
The present invention is suitable for use in single, twin or dual
lane tray sealing or wrapping systems.
[0022] Once the griller has been cut into the allocated portion,
remaining portions of the chicken are then directed towards the
relevant weigher and batching table.
[0023] In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention
there is provided a computer-implemented method for controlling a
poultry packaging system, comprising: (a) receiving a plurality of
orders for poultry product, wherein said poultry product is either
a whole or a portion of a poultry bird; (b) receiving at least one
measurable parameter of at least one poultry bird from a
measurement unit; (c) determining which of the plurality of
received orders best corresponds to the received at least one
measurable parameter; and (d) transmitting a signal to a poultry
processing system such that said poultry processing system
processes the poultry birds in accordance with the order determined
in step (c).
[0024] In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention
there is provided a computer program product comprising
instructions which when executed by data processing apparatus
causes the apparatus to be configured to be operable in accordance
with the second aspect of the invention.
[0025] In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention there is
provided a poultry packaging system comprising the apparatus of the
first aspect of the invention.
[0026] The present invention provides a clear advantage over the
prior art in that it immediately reduces the amount of waste and
giveaway in a food packaging factory. It also reduces the amount of
food product sold as bulk or batches sold "overweight" (for example
a "large" chicken being sold as a "medium" chicken), thereby
increasing efficiency and reducing waste.
[0027] It is also envisaged that the system of the present
invention is capable of increasing efficiency in food orders before
chickens even arrive at a food processing factory. For example, it
will be possible to request certain weight poultry birds to be
delivered to the factory at certain times in order to process the
orders most effectively.
[0028] Alternatively, the invention may allow operators to suggest
that the clients (such as supermarkets) change their orders (either
in terms of batch weight or portion type and size) if it is known
in advance what weight poultry birds will be delivered, and thus
what orders would be processed most efficiently.
[0029] These advantages are beneficial for each of the poultry bird
farmer, food production system and the end consumer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] Certain preferred embodiments of aspects of the present
invention will now be described, by way of example only, with
reference to the following drawings, in which:
[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic overview of a poultry factory in
one embodiment of the invention;
[0032] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of one embodiment of
the invention;
[0033] FIG. 3 shows a diagram of individual prepared chickens (or
"grillers") on a hanger line according to a first embodiment of the
invention;
[0034] FIG. 4 is a flow chart outlining the steps of a first
embodiment of the invention;
[0035] FIG. 5 shows a diagram of subsets of individual prepared
chickens (or "grillers") on a hanger line according to a second
embodiment of the invention;
[0036] FIG. 6 is a flow chart outlining the steps of a second
embodiment of the invention; and
[0037] FIG. 7 is a flow chart outlining the steps of a third
embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0038] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a chicken factory 100 comprising a
preparation system 101 and processing system 102. Whole chickens
are delivered to the preparation system 101 by trucks 110, 111,
112. Preparation system 101 comprises apparatus known in the art to
slaughter, de-feather, eviscerate and de-bone the chickens. The
chickens are typically transported between the slaughtering,
de-feathering and evisceration apparatuses on a continuous moving
hanger line, with the chickens typically hung from their feet in
shackles. The prepared birds (known as "grillers"), which have been
slaughtered, de-feathered and eviscerated, are then weighed and
quality inspected and transported along the hanger line to a
chiller unit 103. Within the chiller unit 103, the hanger line
doubles back on itself a number of times as seen in FIG. 1 such
that, although the grillers will be continuously moving along the
hanger line through the chiller unit 103, the grillers will
typically spend three hours between entering and exiting the
chiller unit 103. As will be appreciated, chillers and hanger lines
vary in size from factory to factory.
[0039] Chicken processing system 102 comprises cutting apparatus
(generally shown at 105) operable to cut the prepared grillers,
once they have exited the chiller unit 103, into desired portions
to be packaged. Such portions include thighs, drums, whole legs,
breast and wings amongst others. The desired portions are then
weighed in a computer combination weigher (CCW) such as a multihead
weigher (shown at 107a and 107b) and arranged in batches by
operators or automated robotics on batching tables 106a, 106b,
106c. For example, multihead weigher 107a may weigh out 800 g
batches of four chicken thighs to be packaged by operators on
batching table 106a.
[0040] The multihead weighers typically comprise a plurality of
output hoppers and are capable of weighing multiple different
target weights simultaneously. For example, a single multihead
weigher may simultaneously weigh out 800 g batches and 1000 g
batches of chicken thighs in separate output hoppers. This
advantageously improves efficiency of the batching process, thereby
increasing throughput.
[0041] The batches are placed by the operators or automated
robotics into containers (typically trays) which are then sealed on
packaging or wrapping lines 108. This is typically done in a tray
sealer (shown at 108a, 108b, 108c, 108d) which applies a lidding
film to the top of the filled container. The sealed containers are
then labelled accordingly and distributed to the desired outlet,
for example a supermarket or fast-food restaurant. The packaging
lines 108 may be "single lane" lines sealing one line of trays at a
time, or "dual lane" lines, which are operable to seal two lines of
trays simultaneously. Each of the batching tables and packaging
lines is typically operable to package different portions of
chicken.
[0042] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the system 200 of the
present invention. The system 200 comprises a Manufacturing
Execution System (MES) 201, in communication with a measurement
unit 220, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system 210, Chicken
Processing System (CPS) 230 and a monitor 250 via input/output
adapters 206 using communication means such as the internet.
Alternatively, other communication means may be used, such as a
local area network (LAN). The MES 201, ERP 210, measurement unit
220, CPS 230 and monitor 205 may be remote from each other, or may
be integrated into a single device. Alternatively, certain units
may be remote and others integrated. For example, the monitor 250
and the MES 201 may be a single unit, with the ERP 210, measurement
unit 220 and CPS 230 being remote.
[0043] The MES 201 further comprises a bus 205 that communicatively
connects first determining processor 203, second determining
processor 204, recommendation engine 207, memory 202 and the I/O
adapters 206.
[0044] In use, the ERP 210 is operable to receive orders for
chicken portions. This may be, for example, an order from a
supermarket for 1000 packs of chicken thighs, wherein each pack
contains four thighs and has a total weight of 800 g. The ERP 210
transmits the order data to the MES 201 over the internet, LAN or
other communication means. This data is then stored in memory 202
within the MES 201. Memory 202 may be volatile or non-volatile
memory. Alternatively, the data can be processed "on the fly"
without being stored in memory.
First Embodiment
[0045] In a first embodiment of the present invention, measurement
unit 220 is operable to receive the weights of each griller from
the preparation system 101. In this embodiment, the measurement
unit 220 is a weigher. Alternatively, the weigher 220 may receive
the weights of the live birds delivered to the factory before
slaughter. The measurement unit 220 transmits this data to the MES
201 over the internet or other communication means.
[0046] In order to ensure that the weights received at the MES 201
correspond to the correct grillers, each griller is numbered with
an electronic tag, together with any other pertinent information
such as its quality or whether it is Halal.
[0047] Processor 204 then determines the average weight of a
chicken portion in an individual griller by utilising the measured
weight of the whole griller. It is well known to the skilled person
that each portion of a griller (such as breast, thigh, wing etc.)
comprises a certain percentage of the overall weight of the
griller, and there is little variance in these percentages from
bird to bird. For example, two drums typically account for 13.5% to
14.5% of the griller weight; similarly a breast cap makes up 34% to
36% of the overall griller weight. It is therefore straightforward
to determine the weights of each portion of an individual griller.
Similar known percentages exist using the weights of live birds,
since the griller weight is a certain percentage of the live
weight.
[0048] Each griller is analysed individually and, depending on the
orders received by the ERP system 210, recommendation engine 207
determines how each griller will be processed by the chicken
processing system accordingly. FIG. 3 shows three individual
grillers 360, 370 and 380 hung by shackles 303 on hanger line 302
in the chiller 103. Processor 204 has determined the predicted
weights for each portion of each griller, as described above. From
this data, recommendation engine 207 matches each griller 360, 370
and 380 to one of the orders received at the ERP system 210. For
example, griller 360 may have an ideal drum weight to match an
order for packs of chicken drums; griller 370 has a wing weight
matching an order for wings within a weight tolerance of +/-5 g,
and griller 380 has a weight matching an order for chicken
breast.
[0049] The recommendation engine 207 ranks the received orders from
ERP system 210 in the order in which they should be processed in
order to minimise giveaway of food product and increase efficiency.
An operator is informed, via a GUI on monitor 250, of this ranking.
The operator is also informed of other consequences of processing
the orders in the order determined by recommendation engine 207,
such as financial consequences of any giveaway produced. The
processor 207 is adapted to minimise the amount of overweight
product in order to reduce giveaway and increase efficiency;
however, the operator is able to override the processor 207 if
(s)he deems necessary.
[0050] The recommendation engine 207 then transmits a signal(s) to
control unit 232 within the CPS 102 such that the desired orders
can be processed from the grillers. The MES 201 and control unit
230 are in communication via the internet or other communication
means. CPS 102 further comprises cutting apparatus 231 and at least
one CCW 107, both of which are in communication with, and
controlled by, control unit 232. The cutters 231 are operable to
cut the grillers 360, 370 and 380 into the desired portions.
[0051] Alternatively, orders may be received at the MES 201 for
whole grillers. In such an instance, the weight of the griller
itself is taken into account when determining which order it should
be used to process.
[0052] The received order for which an individual griller may be
used is changeable right up to the point where that griller exits
the chiller and enters the CPS 102. For example, if griller 360 is
originally going to be used for an order of wings, but a
subsequently analysed subset would provide a better "fit" to the
wings order, then griller 360 will be used to provide portions for
a different order.
[0053] Within the CPS 102 there are typically a plurality of
batching tables 106a, 106b, 106c operating simultaneously, with
each batching table being used for a different poultry portion. For
instance, the drums from griller 360 are directed to a CCW serving
batching table 106a; the wings from griller 370 are sent to a CCW
serving batching table 106b and the breast portions from griller
380 are sent to CCW serving batching table 106c. The portions are
then packaged accordingly by manual operators of automated
robotics. In this embodiment, each CCW is a multihead weigher and
is operable to weigh two different portion weights simultaneously.
For example, one multihead weigher may be operable to weigh both
400 g and 600 g batches of chicken breast simultaneously. Even so,
other types of CCW can be used, such as screw-feed weighers.
[0054] Of course, the grillers 360, 370, 380 are cut up into
portions other than the recommended portion, and these other
portions are directed to the appropriate batching table to make up
other orders. For example, the breast from griller 360 is sent to
the batching table where batches of chicken breast are being
processed. Alternatively, the other portions may be directed to
"bulk" if their weights do not match any current orders. "Bulk" in
this context is unpackaged chicken product that may be sold off
cheaply to minimise wastage. Sometimes a certain percentage of bulk
may be required for further processing of, for example, frozen
product. This is usually sold at a reduced price.
[0055] The packed containers are then sealed with the correct size
tray sealer on a packaging line 8, labelled, finalised and
distributed as desired. Different chicken portions will require
differing sizes of tray (for example drums require larger trays
than wings), and so the correct packaging line and tray sealer is
chosen accordingly to accommodate the correct size trays.
[0056] FIG. 4 is a flowchart outlining the steps of the first
embodiment of the invention. In step 301 the weight of an
individual griller is received at the MES 201 from the weigher unit
220. At step 302, the MES receives orders for batches of chicken
products from the ERP system 220. The skilled person will
appreciate that steps 301 and 302 may be performed in that order,
in the reverse order (i.e. the orders received before the weights),
or simultaneously.
[0057] As described above in relation to FIG. 2, in step 303 the
processor 204 determines the weight of a portion of the individual
griller from the well-known look-up values.
[0058] In step 304, processor 207 compares the received orders from
step 302 with the determined portion weights from step 303.
[0059] Finally, at step 305, the MES 201 determines which order the
griller should be used to process. For example, if the griller has
an ideal weight to match an order for chicken drums, the griller
will be processed by CPS 102 and cut into drums. The flowchart then
loops back to step 301 where the weight of the next griller is
received at the MES.
Second Embodiment
[0060] In a second embodiment of the present invention, the
grillers in the chiller are not allocated to the orders received at
ERP system 210 on an individual basis, but rather on a "subset"
basis. This is particularly advantageous when the factory is
handling a large volume of poultry birds in a short period of time,
or where the orders allow for some variance in the weights of
individual portions (i.e. large tolerances). For example, each
chicken thigh in a 1000 g batch of chicken thighs can have a
slightly different weight as long as the total weight of all four
thighs is 1000 g.
[0061] In the same manner as the first embodiment, measurement unit
220 is a weigher unit and weighs each individual griller (or
alternatively live bird). The grillers are then split into subsets,
as schematically seen in FIG. 5 which shows subsets 320, 330 and
340 of grillers hung by shackles 303 on hanger line 302. The first
subset 320 of grillers may be determined as the number of grillers
that enter the chiller unit 103 in a set period of time, for
example 30 minutes, or as a set number of grillers, for example
100. The second subset of grillers 330 is then determined in a
similar manner. Subsets may comprise the same number of grillers,
although it is envisaged that different subsets may have different
numbers of grillers. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the number of
grillers in each subset is constant. The size of the subset may be
set by a user using a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on
monitor 250, or may be predetermined.
[0062] In order to ensure that the weights received at the MES 201
correspond to the correct grillers, each griller is numbered with
an electronic tag, together with information such as its quality.
The grillers in each subset are consecutive and adjacent each other
on the hanger line.
[0063] Processor 203 then determines the average weight of the
grillers in a subset. The "average" is typically the mean value,
although other averages may be used, such as median or mode. The
size and weights of the grillers in a subset will vary; however in
the present invention the average weight is of more importance than
the variance.
[0064] Processor 204 then determines the average weight of a
chicken portion in the subset by utilising the average weight of a
griller in that subset determined by processor 203. It is well
known to the skilled person that each portion of a griller (such as
breast, thigh, wing etc.) comprises a certain percentage of the
overall weight of the griller. There is little variance in these
percentages from bird to bird. For example, two drums typically
account for 13.5% to 14.5% of the griller weight; similarly a
breast cap makes up 34% to 36% of the overall griller weight. It is
therefore straightforward to determine the average weight of each
portion of a griller in that subset. Similarly to processor 203,
the "average" is typically the mean; however other average values
may be determined such as modal and median values.
[0065] As an alternative, it is also possible to break down the
weight of a whole chicken (as opposed to a prepared griller) into
portion weights by percentage, where the whole birds have been
weighed before being processed in preparation system 101.
[0066] The received weight data from weigher unit 220, as well as
the determined average griller and portion weights may be stored in
memory 202, or processed "on the fly". Typically, the griller or
live bird weights received from weigher unit 220 relating to the
second, third, fourth subsets etc. will be stored in memory 202
until they can be processed by processors 203, 204 at the desired
time (i.e. once the data relating to the first subset has been
processed).
[0067] Recommendation engine 207 then compares the average portion
weights from processor 204 with the plurality of orders stored in
memory 202 in order to determine which portions of the grillers
will be processed and packaged next. The manner is which the
comparison is carried out is explained by means of an example
below.
[0068] In more detail, an order A may be for 500 g portions of
chicken thighs made up of four individual pieces, and an order B
may be for 1000 g portions of chicken legs made up of four
individual pieces. Conventionally however, the data about the
chickens is not taken into account when processing the orders. For
example, the chickens in subset 320 may have had an average thigh
weight of 175 g, making them difficult to portion into packs of
four weighing 500 g. Using the chickens in subset 320 to process
order A would generate a lot of giveaway or product sold as bulk,
reducing efficiency.
[0069] However, the chickens in subset 320 may have an average leg
weight of 250 g, making them ideal for producing batches of four
whole legs making up a weight of 1000 g. In the present invention,
recommendation engine 207 would recognise this, and the subset 320
would be used to process order B rather than order A in order to
minimise waste and giveaway. order A could then be processed from
subset 330, which may have a more optimal average weight of chicken
thighs.
[0070] Alternatively, orders may be received at the MES 201 for
whole grillers. In such an instance, the average weight of birds in
a subset as determined by processor 203 is taken into account when
determining which order to process next.
[0071] The recommendation engine 207 ranks the received orders from
ERP system 210 in the order in which they should be processed in
order to minimise wastage or giveaway of food product and increase
efficiency. An operator is informed, via a GUI on monitor 250, of
this ranking. Due to natural variations in chicken weights, it is
unlikely that the subsets will fulfil the order weights exactly,
and therefore in a preferred embodiment, the GUI displays the
amount of overweight product a subset will generate when matched to
a particular order, together with the financial consequence of this
wastage. The processor 207 is adapted to minimise the amount of
overweight product in order to reduce wastage and increase
efficiency; however, the operator is able to override the processor
207 if (s)he deems necessary.
[0072] The received order for which a subset may be used is
changeable right up to the point where that subset exits the
chiller and enters the CPS 102. For example, if subset 320 is
originally going to be used for an order of wings, but a
subsequently analysed subset would provide a better "fit" to the
wings order, then subset 320 will be changed to provide portions
for a different order.
[0073] The processor 207 then transmits signal(s) to a control unit
232 in chicken processing system 102 such that the desired orders
can be processed from the grillers. The MES 201 and control unit
232 are in communication via the internet or other communication
means. Chicken processing system 102 further comprises cutting
apparatus 231 and at least one CCW 107, both of which are in
communication with, and controlled by, the control unit 232. As
described hereinabove, the grillers are hung in single file on
movable hanger 302, and so subset 320 will be processed first once
the grillers exit the chiller. This subset 320 may have been
determined to have the correct weight wings to fulfil an order for
500 g packs of chicken wings. The cutters 231 are thus controlled
by control unit 232 to cut the grillers in subset 230 into wing
portions.
[0074] The control unit 232 is then operable to control the CCW 107
to weigh out the wings into the desired weight batches (within a
predetermined tolerance) and packed into containers on one of
batching tables 106a, 106b, 106c.
[0075] The packed containers are then sealed with the correct size
tray sealer on a packaging line 8, labelled, finalised and
distributed as desired. Different chicken portions may require
differing sizes of tray (for example drums require larger trays
than wings), and so the correct packaging line and tray sealer is
chosen accordingly to accommodate the correct size trays.
[0076] The grillers in first subset 320 may also be cut into
portions other than wings (such as drums or breast for example) and
these may be used to process an order for such portions.
[0077] The next subset to be processed by chicken processing system
102 is the second subset 330, and the grillers will be cut and
weighed in accordance with the order that best matches the average
weights of that subset.
[0078] FIG. 6 is a flowchart outlining the steps of the second
embodiment of the invention. In step 401 the individual weights of
each griller in a subset are received at the MES 201 from the
weigher unit 220. The subsets are determined as described
hereinabove. At step 402, the MES receives orders for batches of
chicken products from the ERP system 220. The skilled person will
appreciate that steps 401 and 402 may be performed in that order,
in the reverse order (i.e. the orders received before the weights),
or simultaneously.
[0079] As described above in relation to FIG. 2, the processor 203
determines the mean weight of a griller in the subset at step 403,
and at step 404 a mean weight of each chicken portion is determined
for that subset. Although in this embodiment the mean is used,
other average values such as the mode or median may be used.
[0080] In step 405, processor 207 compares the received orders from
step 402 with the determined mean weights from steps 403 or 404.
Each order is individually compared with the weight data of the
current subset being analysed. Specifically, if the order is for a
particular portion (such as a wing or drum), it is compared to the
weight determined in step 404. On the other hand, if the order is
for a whole chicken, the order is compared to the mean weight
determined in step 403. For example, an order might be for "large"
chickens in a certain weight range, and processor 207 determines
whether the mean weight of the subset seen in step 403 is in that
range.
[0081] Finally, at step 406, the orders received in step 402 are
ranked in order (with the order that would produce the least
wastage from that subset ranked as most preferable) for that
particular subset of grillers (other metrics are taken into account
when ranking the orders however, such as the delivery deadline).
The flowchart then loops back to step 401 where the weights of the
next subset are received at the MES. It should be noted that since
the chickens are in the chiller 103 for up to three hours, there
will be many subsets in the chiller that have been compared to the
orders on the MES 201 and that have not been processed by the
processing system 102. Therefore, present invention is capable of
analysing the orders against a number of subsets. For example, if
the top-ranked order for subset 320 is wings, and the top-ranked
order for subset 340 is also wings but with less wastage than for
subset 320, the processing system 103 will process the wing order
with subset 340. As described hereinabove, the order for which a
subset will be used to fulfil is changeable right up until that
subset exits the chiller.
Third Embodiment
[0082] In a third embodiment of the present invention the
measurement unit 220 is further operable to determine the quality
of each griller before it reaches the chicken processing system
102. In this context, "quality" refers to attributes of each
griller such the number of bloodspots on the griller or if there
are any physical abnormalities. This can be determined by manual
workers or automatically. If a griller is determined to have a
quality higher than a certain threshold, then it will be packaged
as a whole griller without being cut into portions in the CPS 102.
The weight of the grillers will still be measured at the
measurement unit 220, and any grillers having a quality greater
than a predetermined threshold will then be package by weight, for
example as a "small" chicken, a "medium" chicken or a "large"
chicken. Alternatively, if the weight of the griller is not in an
appropriate range for packaging in such a manner, it will be cut up
into portions by the CPS 102.
[0083] This procedure is illustrated in FIG. 7. At step 701 the
griller quality is determined. This can be carried at any time
before the griller reaches the CPS 102. The quality is typically
determined by a manual operator who checks each griller for any
blood spots, deformities or other features that would detract from
the presentation of the griller to an end consumer. Alternatively,
the quality check may be carried out automatically, for example an
infra-red inspection may be used to determine the number of blood
spots present.
[0084] In a further embodiment, the measurement unit is operable to
determine whether the chickens have been slaughtered in accordance
with halal, and if so those grillers can be processed
separately.
[0085] At step 702, if the quality of the griller is above a
predetermined threshold, then the flowchart moves to step 703 where
the griller's weight as measured at measurement unit 220 is
compared to the orders received at ERP system 210. The threshold
may be a certain number of bloodspots for example. A griller having
a fewer bloodspots than the threshold will move to step 703 in FIG.
7 flowchart.
[0086] At step 703, processor 207 determines whether the weight of
the griller matches any of the orders in the ERP system 210. If so,
then the griller is packaged as a whole griller (step 704) and
sized depending on its weight (for example "small", "medium" or
"large"). This "check weight" step 703 prevents whole grillers from
being sold at the wrong weight, thereby reducing giveaway and
improving consumer safety. For example, if a large chicken is
packaged as a "medium" chicken, then the end consumer is likely to
not cook the chicken for long enough.
[0087] As seen in FIG. 7, if at either of the decision steps 702,
703 the answer is "no", then the flowchart proceeds to point A of
either FIG. 4 or FIG. 6, depending on whether the food packaging
system is operating on a "subset" basis or an individual griller
basis. The features of the third embodiment can be incorporated
into the first and second embodiments individually. For example, in
one embodiment, the grillers are analysed on an individual basis
depending on their weight and quality, and in another embodiment,
the grillers are analysed based on a subset basis depending on
their weight and quality.
[0088] The features of any of the above-described embodiments can
be used in any of the other embodiments. For example, the
"individual" nature of the first embodiment may be used in the
second embodiment to further increase efficiency. For instance,
different orders received at the ERP system 210 may require
different tolerances. For example, an order for chicken wings from
a fast food restaurant may require each chicken wing to be of a
particular weight with a tolerance of +/-5 g. On the other hand, an
order from a large supermarket for packs of four chicken thighs
totalling 500 g does not require such accurate tolerances for each
individual thigh as long as the total weight is 500 g. Therefore,
the system 200 may run in the "subset" mode for filling the orders
with a lower tolerance, but if an individual griller has a correct
weight chicken wing to meet a small tolerance such as +/-5 g, then
that individual griller can be used to process the wing order.
[0089] The present invention advantageously provides flexibility in
how the grillers are processed. The processor 207 analyses the
orders received at ERP system 210 and is operable to determine
whether the grillers should be processed by the CPS 102 on a
"subset" basis which increases throughput, or an individual basis,
which allows greater control of portion weight and quality.
[0090] Further, the use of measurement unit 220 to determine the
quality of the grillers can be used in either the first or second
embodiments.
[0091] The present invention provides a clear advantage over the
prior art in that it immediately reduces the amount of waste in a
food packaging factory. It also reduces the amount of food product
sold as bulk or batches sold "overweight" (for example a "large"
chicken being sold as a "medium" chicken), thereby increasing
efficiency and reducing waste.
[0092] It is also envisaged that the system of the present
invention is capable of increasing efficiency in food orders before
chickens even arrive at a factory. For example, if a number of
orders are stored in the memory 202, it will be possible to request
certain weight chickens to be delivered to the factory at certain
times in order to process the orders most effectively. As explained
earlier, portion weights can be determined accurately from the
weight of a whole bird (rather than a just from a griller), and so
the weights of chickens being delivered by trucks 110, 111 and 112
can be requested.
[0093] Alternatively, the invention may allow operators to suggest
that the clients (such as supermarkets) change their orders (either
in terms of batch weight or portion type and size) if it is known
in advance what weight chickens will be delivered, and thus what
orders would be processed most efficiently.
[0094] Although the above description relates predominantly to a
chicken factory, the present invention is also suitable for other
food packaging systems such as beef, lamb and pork processing
systems.
* * * * *